Man, I love Apfelwein - Page 116

knarfks · 03-31-2007, 05:05 AM

Only changed the yeast.

**EdWort** · 03-31-2007, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paranode

So is this rule 3 glasses per sitting or 3 glasses overall?

That's 3 glasses in one session of course!!!!!

**Schlenkerla** · 03-31-2007, 03:46 PM

I bottled my 1st batch last week after 12 very long weeks. (Avg Ferment Temp 57'F) Since it was flat and warm, I had a glass on the rocks. Its tasted pretty darn good. The alcohol was barely detectable and it tasted just a touch green.

I thought it was very clear at the time, but to my surprise this morning there's signs of setting yeast as the bottles carb. After seeing this I know it well get better w/o a doubt. Its good to get a little positive re-enforcement.

SWMBO had a glass, but I had to cut it 50/50 with apple juice. Even that way it will pack a wallop if you over do it....

My #2 is going good. This was with 4 gal of juice 4 cans of juice concentrate and Cote Des Blancs. Next week I plan to split this batch, rack over to two secondaries, one with 2 cans of Oregon Strawberry and the other with 2 cans of Oregon Raspberry. SWMBO will like the sweeter stuff.

Thanks Ed for getting us started on this. I'll probably always have something going since it rather cheap and easy.

Beerrific · 03-31-2007, 03:59 PM

HI

I started reading this thread a while back and have gotten kind of interested in it. I have a couple friends that aren't big beer drinkers (gasp!) but like hard cider and I thought I might make this and see how they like it. But I have a couple questions, and I am sorry if they turn out to be repeats, I couldn't read all 100+ pages.

1. I see you have done this in a carboy, would it work in an plain old bucket? I don't have a carboy, but am getting one for cold conditioning lagers, I just don't want to tie it up if it could be done in one of my buckets.

2. You said to ferment at room temperature, what is that for you? If I want to make this for the fall (I feel like this is a very fall/winter type drink), I need to start it this summer. Since I live in Hotlanta and my house leaks I can't afford to keep it much cooler than 80F during the day when I'm not here. I know that is too hot for [most] beers is the same true for Apfelwein? I can probably put it in a bathroom with the door shut, AC vent open, with something wet around it and keep that temp down 5 degrees maybe.

3. How does this compare to hard cider. Could you use your recipe and just cider?

Thanks

**Schlenkerla** · 03-31-2007, 04:13 PM

Beerific

A bucket will work. Since you live on Hotlanta it will ferment faster which is OK. If you have a basement use it. If not get over to Menards and get yourself a large kegger tub. Fill it with water once you got the fermenter in the tub. Roughly half way and drap towels over the fermenter so they touch the water and the bucket. The whole towel should be wet. This works best with a carboy. You can get the temp down ~ 10 degrees, especially if you have a fan or vent blowing on the thing. You can also drop frozen bottles of ice into the tub but its a PITA to keep doing.

Here some yeast info, has temp data. I think montrachet has tolerance for your heat.

http://www.cfhb.org/mead/yeast_strains.htm#mont

This is a year round drink, you will like drinking it on hot sunny day in Hotlanta!

Check of this wiki cider style link.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Styles_of_Cider

Get Busy And Make Some!!

Branket · 03-31-2007, 04:23 PM

I think mine is done. Its been almost 6 weeks and its defiantly a lot darker than the cloudy juice that went into it. There is still an occasional bubble in the airlock maybe one bubble per 5 mins if that, but there are no more small bubbles rising and all the yeast seems to be collected at the bottom in a pretty thick layer.

mot · 04-01-2007, 04:05 AM

Just finished my first batch, I had to put it in an ale pale, because that is all I had, I wish I could see it ferment but oh well. I followed eds recipe exactly
5 gallons of apple juice
2 lbs of corn sugar
1 packet of montrchet yeast

Now patience.......

BoxerDog · 04-01-2007, 05:47 AM

My apfelwein was started on Feb. 1 and I bottled it about 3 weeks ago and carbed it up. I would have to say that I like it much better carbed rather than flat and that it did carbonate fairly well in 3 weeks.

I must admit though I did a smaller mr.beer batch back in Feb and drank a little too much apfelwein and I did lose my taste for it, instead of drinking the 3 glasses Ed Wort instructed to do, I drank like 8.

skou · 04-01-2007, 11:56 AM

Well, I finally got around to doing a small carboy of this. It is a variation on a theme.

2 gallons of apple juice, from concentrate.
1/2 gallon of real maple syrup.
1 lb dextrose.
Nottingham yeast.

It is in a 3 gallon carboy. We'll see what happens.

steve

aekdbbop · 04-01-2007, 02:00 PM

Ok guys, need some help!

I just had some people over to try mine from the tap, and it was great! However, there were a lot of people who were expecting something a bit sweeter with more apple taste.

I am sure there is someone on this post that has already told how to accomplish this, but I don't feel like searching through 116 pages.

So if someone could tell me how to make it sweeter, less dry, and more apple flavor.. that would be awesome.

Thanks!